WARREN Company to create 485 jobs

The plan is to add 105 jobs in the first year of operation.
By AMANDA GARRETT
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- The creation of up to 485 jobs by Leedsworld Inc. will add in excess of $200,000 to the city's income tax, Mayor Michael J. O'Brien said.
O'Brien made the announcement at a press conference Wednesday to celebrate the news that the Pennsylvania company was expanding its operations to Warren.
O'Brien said the announcement marked a great day for Warren and the region.
"It's a perfect example of everyone working together," he said, referring to the cooperation among local and state government to bring the company to Warren. "This bodes well for future projects and future expansions."
The increase in tax income to the city will offset the losses from some other companies who are downsizing, O'Brien said.
Leedsworld will open for business in July at a 256,000 square-foot facility at 655 North River Road.
Leedsworld is looking to hire 105 people in its first year of operation, O'Brien said.
The company will then expand to 241 jobs by 2009, and as many as 485 jobs by 2011.
"The company has stressed to us that those are very conservative estimates," O'Brien said.
The company is confident it will need that many people because it has experienced 20 percent growth each year for the past five years.
The starting pay at Leedsworld will be $9.83 an hour with $2.76 in benefits, O'Brien said.
Leedsworld will be working with Trumbull County Jobs and Family Services and Trumbull County One- Stop to distribute applications, O'Brien said.
Initially the North River Road location will be used for warehousing only, but eventually it will expand into production. The building will only need minor alterations before they are ready to move in, O'Brien said.
Eventually, the company is also looking to expand on six acres to the east and 10 acres to the south.
The six-acre expansion will be for parking, O'Brien said.
"Anytime I hear a company is going to expand their parking, that's good news," he said.
The total package
No Leedsworld representatives were present at the press conference, but Chief Financial Officer Martin Vuono said in a press release that Warren was an ideal place for expansion.
"Not only is the proximity to our headquarters ideal for our day-to-day operations, but the building itself meets our warehouse, production and office space needs," he said. "In addition to these benefits, the state and local governments have provided attractive tax and financing incentives that solidified our decision to become a part of the Warren community."
The North River Road facility is about 100 miles from Leedsworld headquarters in New Kensington, Pa.
To lure Leedsworld to Ohio, the state is providing a $2 million, 1 percent loan, a $250,000 business development grant, a $150,000 training grant and a job creation tax credit valued at $436,255.
Also, Trumbull County gave Leedsworld a tax abatement, and the Northeast Ohio Trade and Economic Consortium has applied to create a foreign trade zone at the site with the assistance of the Western Reserve Port Authority.
"At first they didn't think the facility met their needs, but we leveled the playing field by offering all these incentives," O'Brien said.
Leedsworld is a supplier and producer of promotional products such as portfolios, pens and stationary.
Warren Service and Safety Director William Douglas Franklin said he is pleased that the company's move here is an expansion.
"These are new jobs," he said. "We're not taking jobs away from another community."
agarrett@vindy.com